Page 1 of Dumbstruck
Chapter One
June
Itisaperfectlynormal reaction to hide from an attractive man when he walks into your store and not at all pathetic.
Okay, so I don’t actuallyknowif he’s attractive because I only saw half his features before I hid behind the front counter. He’s wearing a baseball hat and sunglasses, which immediately made me think of all those superhero movies where that is the go-to disguise for the insanely attractive heroes when they’re trying to lie low. Maybe that’s the reason I got so spooked—I don’t like people who think they have to hide.
The irony of that…
Moving slowly, I poke my head over the top of the counter where I’ve been hiding ever since the guy walked into my hardware store. He’s at the back with another guy, the pair of them perusing the power tools. Still wearing the sunglasses despite being indoors. Yeah, he’s definitely hiding, and a niggling feeling in my belly tells me I know why.
Laketown, a place too small and sleepy for visitors except when we host the county’s summer carnival (which won’t happen for a few more months), has been plagued the last week by a film crew. You might think it would be exciting to have them here, a way to put our little town on the map, but most people—me included—would rather be left alone. The movie will bring nothing but trouble when it puts Laketown on the metaphorical map.
Exhibit A is at the back of my store. Based on this guy’s jawline and fit physique, he’s most likely Jonah James, the movie’s male lead.
I don’t generally pay attention to movies, and I wouldn’t have cared who was in this one if it wasn’t an adaptation of my friend Hank’s book. I happen to be a major fan of his books, so when they announced the cast for the adaptation, I had to be sure Jonah was a good fit for the character, Logan. He’s got the right look, but I have yet to pass judgment on his acting skills. I’ve been meaning to wander over to watch when they film in town, but I haven’t had the chance yet.
The guy in the hat looks over in my direction, and I duck back down, hoping he didn’t see me. He might be a regular customer, but if that’s Jonah James standing in my aisle, this could turn ugly. From the little I read about him on the internet, he’s not the kind of guy we want wandering around town. He’s the lose-thousands-while-gambling type who probably thinks his money and fame mean he can do no wrong.
“Hello?” Whether it’s the hat guy or his friend, the man who speaks has a smooth and clear voice, which annoyingly sparks a thread of attraction through my chest.Please let it be the other guy. I don’t need to be attracted to a celebrity. Or anyone. “Is anyone here?”
If I stay silent, maybe they’ll leave? I can’t imagine what an actor would need from a hardware store anyway.
“Maybe they’re in the back?” a different voice says, this one gruff and broad. It seems to better fit the other guy, who has tree trunks for limbs. The handsome one is also nice and muscular, but not to the extent of his buddy.
Personally, I prefer the more toned look over bulging muscles. My ex was a gym rat with two goals in life: to get as big as he possibly could and to keep me controlled with the threat of overpowering me. He was a winner for sure. I’m smart enough to know not every strong guy is going to be like him—I appreciate a good set of muscles as much as the next gal—but there’s a limit to what I find appealing, thanks to the jerk I left long after I should have.
“Hello?” the smooth voice says again, suddenly much closer.
I tense, holding my breath. I’m a big girl, and I should help these guys with whatever they need and send them on their way, but at this point I’ll look like I’m not fully right in my mind if I pop up and act like I wasn’t hiding.Great business practice, June.
“Ahem.”
My head shoots up, and I stare at the sunglasses that reflect my terrified expression. The guy is leaning over the counter and looking down at me with his lips twisted up in an amused smile. “Uh.” I have nothing I can say that will explain why I’m sitting on the floor.
His smile grows. “You okay down there?”
Just act normal, June.“I, uh, it’s my lunch break.” Well that was a stupid response. No one eats lunch on the floor.
As if reading my thoughts, the guy turns his head to look at his big friend, who has joined him, then says, “Do you always spend your lunch break on the floor?”
I scramble to my feet and straighten the apron I’m wearing. “Maybe. What can I help you with?”
He purses his lips, a dimple forming on one cheek as he fights his growing smile. I still can’t see his eyes, but I’m certain he’s Jonah James. And he isstupidlyattractive. It’s almost criminal. “Is your lunch break over? I don’t want to interrupt.”
My stomach gurgles, loudly enough that the bigger guy furrows his brow, and I sigh. My already flimsy excuse is dead now. “I’m happy to help. What are you looking for today?”
“A set of Allen wrenches,” the guy with trunks for arms says, leaning one of those massive arms on the counter and making me take a half step back. I don’t mean to, but his build reminds me of my ex, and instinct can be hard to suppress.
My ex only hit me once, but it was enough to make me wary.
“You have metric,” he continues, “but I need an imperial set if you have them.”
The other guy—the pretty one in the hat—seems to be staring at me, making it difficult to think straight as I process what I’m being told. “Imperial? Oh, um, unfortunately I’m out. They’ve been on backorder for a couple of months, and no one usually…” I shouldn’t finish that sentence.No one usually buys things like that from me.People in Laketown already have most of the tools they need, so they only come to me for things like nails and replacement bits for their drills. When I bought this place a couple of years ago, when I moved to town, I thought maybe it was rundown because the previous owner was too old for upkeep. It turns out he just didn’t have much business.
The only reason I’ll be in the black this month is because the film crew blew through here when they arrived and purchased a bunch of stuff to build their sets. It might be annoying to have them clogging up Main Street to film, but at least they added to my bank account.
“I said the same thing to that film crew,” I add, shifting my gaze to the pretty boy and trying to judge his reaction.
